India vs England 2021: Rishabh Pant to play first Test in Chennai, confirms Virat Kohli

India and England are slated to play their first Test of the four-match Test series in Chennai from February 5. As there are just a few hours for the Test to get underway, Indian skipper Virat Kohli confirmed Rishabh Pant’s presence in the first Test match.

The wicketkeeper-batsman Pant has been picked over his counterpart Wriddhiman Saha.

“Rishabh (Pant) will start tomorrow. He had a massive impact in Australia and is in a good head space. We want to continue with him,” Virat Kohli said at a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“The Chepauk pitch looks good to bat on, but I think it will also have something for the quicks. The combination we have had in the past, where players can bat and bowl, will be our outlook going forward,” the Indian captain added.

Pant talked of the winning shot in Brisbane

“When I played the lost shot, I felt the ball hit the bottom of the bat. The outfield was also slow. So when the ball was travelling, I told Saini (non-striker). I told him Saini ‘3, not 2 but 3’. His groin injury slipped my mind and I was running fast,” Pant told Sports Today.

“First run, I closed my eyes and ran. While running the second run, I noticed that the mid-off fielder didn’t even chase the ball. I was wondering ‘why is this fielder not running?’. Then I noticed, the ball was going towards the boundary, then I was filled with joy. I was shouting ‘Saini 3, we have to run 3’. Saini was running on one leg. It was fun,” Pant added.

Pant had played a ravishing knock of 89 not-out which helped India not only win the historic match in Brisbane but also win the Border-Gavaskar series 2-1.

Also read: India vs England 2021: England players who can tighten the noose for Team India